Which world-renowned soloists do young musicians aspire to and why? Find out as you sit back, relax and enjoy performances from Calgary Music Academy’s talented young soloists. Come prepared to cheer them on with their own school cheerleaders.
The Calgary Music Academy was founded by Mary Jane Vandekerkhove in 2017 and became a registered non-profit organization in 2019. CMAC Faculty consists of teachers with extensive performing backgrounds from around the world and years of experience in teaching classical music to people of all ages at all levels. The school provides private lessons, group lessons, chamber music, theory (all levels), performance experience, and RCM exam preparation. Instruments of study include violin, cello, piano, voice and guitar.
Calgary Music Academy’s Performance Outreach Program’s mission: To give young talented musicians performance opportunity while doing community outreach. The program began in 2015 and is celebrating 150 concerts and its 10th anniversary this year!
PERFORMERS FOR APRIL 01 2026 CONCERT
Rachel Wen – piano
Rachel Wen is 13 years old and a passionate young pianist who began studying piano at the age of seven with Iryna Zayarny. She is currently preparing for her RCM Level 10 certification. She has participated for multiple years in the Calgary Performing Arts Festival and has received first and second places. Last year, Rachel competed in the IPPA piano competition and earned a Gold Award at the national round. Rachel has also been involved in the Calgary Music Academy’s Performance Outreach Program for five years and has won a Performance Outreach scholarship twice.
Anna Wang – violin
Anna Wang is 10 years old and has been studying the violin with Mary Jane Vandekerkove since the age of four. She has won numerous awards in local and international competitions including the Calgary Performing Arts Festival and the Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition. Anna has been a student of the Performance Outreach program for five years which has laid a solid foundation for her passion and pursuit of music. Anna has won a Performance Outreach scholarship two times. Anna’s favourite soloist to listen to is violinist, Hilary Hahn.
Nicole Yuan – piano
Nicole Yuan is a 13-year-old pianist who has studied with Iryna Zayarny for over eight years. She has been part of the Performing Outreach Program for more than five years, receiving scholarships twice while in this program. Nicole has participated in the Calgary Performing Arts Festival for four years, earning 1st place each year. She also received 2nd place at the national round of the 2025 IPPA Piano Competition. Outside of music, she enjoys mathematics, reading, and is an active volleyball player.
Maria Vandekerkhove – cello
Maria Vandekerkhove is fifteen years old and is a full IB student at St. Mary’s high school in Calgary. Maria started cello at the age of five and most recently finished her grade ten RCM cello exam. She competed in the C3 competition this year performing Symphonic Variations by Leon Boellmann. She has been in the Performance Outreach Program for ten years and has performed over one hundred concerts in Calgary. She performs for various events with Elegant Classics Duo and has performed for the Calgary International and Toronto International Fashion Shows with Electronic Symphonia. Maria will be attending Renconfres Musicales Internationales des Graves Festival in Bordeaux, France this summer.